Secure storage of fingerprint related elements

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to secure storage of a detailed set of elements relating to fingerprint features for a finger and to a method for authenticating a candidate fingerprint of a finger using said detailed set of elements, allowing for improved security and user convenience.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of storage of a detailed set of elements relating to fingerprint features for a finger of a user by means of an electronic fingerprint arrangement comprising a fingerprint sensor and processing circuitry connected to the fingerprint sensor, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 acquiring, by said processing circuitry, fingerprint data of the finger using the fingerprint sensor; 
 determining, by said processing circuitry, a first plurality of fingerprint features of the finger from the fingerprint data; 
 dividing, by said processing circuitry, the first plurality of fingerprint features into a first basis set of features and a first detailed set of elements, wherein the first basis set of features comprises key-point features for the finger, and the first detailed set of elements is non-related to the first basis set of features; 
 forming a baseline for the user's finger based on the first basis set of features, including selecting a common reference point in relation to the first basis set of features; 
 relating the detailed set of elements to the baseline and the common reference point; and 
 providing, by said processing circuitry, the first detailed set of elements for storage within a computer memory without including the first basis set of features or a relation to the first basis set of features, wherein the computer memory is comprised with a remotely located cloud server arranged separately from the electronic fingerprint arrangement. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first detailed set of elements are related to the common reference point according to a predetermined feature transform key. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
 providing, by said processing circuitry, information relating to the predetermined feature transform key for storage within the computer memory. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined feature transform key defines a relation model between the first detailed set of elements and the common reference point. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the feature transform key is at least partly preselected at random. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the first detailed set of elements comprises uploading the first detailed set of elements to the cloud server. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first detailed set of elements is stored together with identity information for the finger of the user. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each feature of the first basis set of features has a location provided in relation to the fingerprint sensor. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of dividing the first plurality of fingerprint features into the first basis set of features and the first detailed set of elements comprises determining an intensity level for the first plurality of fingerprint features. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein features of the first plurality of fingerprint features having an intensity level below a predetermined threshold are defined to be comprised with the first detailed set of elements. 
     
     
       11. An electronic device, comprising:
 a fingerprint sensor providing fingerprint data representing a finger of a user arranged at the fingerprint sensor; and 
 processing circuitry connected to the fingerprint sensor, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
 acquire fingerprint data of the finger using the fingerprint sensor; 
 determine a first plurality of fingerprint features of the finger from the fingerprint data; 
 divide the first plurality of fingerprint features into a first basis set of features and a first detailed set of elements, wherein the first basis set of features comprises key-point features for the finger, and the first detailed set of elements is non-related to the first basis set of features; 
 form a baseline for the user's finger based on the first basis set of features, including selecting a common reference point in relation to the first basis set of features; 
 relate the detailed set of elements to the baseline and the common reference point; and 
 provide the first detailed set of elements for storage within a computer memory without including the first basis set of features or a relation to the first basis set of features, wherein the computer memory is comprised with a remotely located cloud server arranged separately from the electronic fingerprint arrangement. 
 
 
     
     
       12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for controlling an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:
 a fingerprint sensor providing fingerprint data representing a finger of a user arranged at the fingerprint sensor; and 
 processing circuitry connected to the fingerprint sensor; 
 wherein the computer program product comprises:
 code for acquiring fingerprint data of the finger using the fingerprint sensor; 
 code for determining a first plurality of fingerprint features of the finger from the fingerprint data; 
 code for dividing the first plurality of fingerprint features into a first basis set of features and a first detailed set of elements, wherein the first basis set of features comprises key-point features for the finger, and the first detailed set of elements is non-related to the first basis set of features; 
 code for forming a baseline for the user's finger based on the first basis set of features, including selecting a common reference point in relation to the first basis set of features; 
 code for relating the detailed set of elements to the baseline and the common reference point; and 
 code for providing the first detailed set of elements for storage within a computer memory without including the first basis set of features or a relation to the first basis set of features, wherein the computer memory is comprised with a remotely located cloud server arranged separately from the electronic fingerprint arrangement.